Characters of Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics and its PlayStation Portable remake, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions are tactical role-playing games developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. (now known as Square Enix). Both games take place in the fictional world of Ivalice, a world conceived by Yasumi Matsuno prior to his joining Square Co. Ltd. in 1995. Within this setting, the games revolve around the story of fictional characters involved in a conflict known as the War of the Lions. The characters are designed and created by Akihiko Yoshida. The game's plot is portrayed through the eyes of Ramza Beoulve, the main character of the story. His exploits in the war introduced him to a number of characters, each with their own role and agenda concerning the war and the fictional world that they inhabit. As the game progresses, players are able to recruit generic player characters and customize them using the Job system of the Final Fantasy series. Several battles also feature "Guest" characters that are controlled via the game's A.I., which may be recruited later in the game. The developers have also incorporated cameo roles for characters from other Square Enix games. Creation and influences Akihiko Yoshida designed the characters for the game; he subsequently did the same for several of the other games set in Ivalice, Final Fantasy XII and Vagrant Story. Within the game characters appear as two-dimensional sprites. Each character is provided with a variety of animations, spanning the many character classes in the game. In the PSP remake, several character names were changed following the re-translation. For example, Algus Sadalfas was changed to Argath Thadalfus, and Alphons Draclau became Alphonse Delacroix. Also, place names changed: Igros Castle became Eagrose Castle, Sweegy Woods became Siedge Weald, and Zirekile Falls became Zeirchele Falls. Main characters Ramza Beoulve is the main character of Final Fantasy Tactics, introduced by the narrator Arazlam as a heretic. In the game's prologue, Ramza serves as a mercenary charged with protecting Princess Ovelia, and witnesses her abduction by his long-lost friend Delita. The first chapter of the game, set a year before the prologue, explains that Ramza, son of the late war hero Barbaneth Beoulve, discovered the questionable motives behind the actions of his older half-brothers, Dycedarg and Zalbaag. When those actions lead to the death of Delita's sister Tietra - and apparently to Delita's as well - Ramza rejects the Beoulve name, assuming his mother's surname of "Lugria" and joining Gaffgarion's company of mercenaries."バルバネスの妾であった母親は平民の出（ルグリア家）であり..." In the second chapter, Ramza rescues Ovelia and attempts to protect her from new assailants while trying to discover Delita's motives. Ramza gradually uncovers a conspiracy involving the Glabados Church and the twelve legendary Zodiac Stones. In the third and fourth chapters of the game, Ramza tries to save his sister Alma from Templars possessed by the Lucavi, a group of demons intent on resurrecting their leader Ultima. Ramza eventually defeats each of them, including Ultima at Mullonde Death City. However, before dying, the latter reveals that Ramza is the descendant of the person who originally killed her in the past,Altima: No... This can't be... You're the descendant of the one who killed me before. No...I won't be beaten... I will not be beaten... and causes an explosion which apparently kills the party. During the ending sequence, Orran (attending Alma's funeral) witnesses Ramza and Alma riding chocobos, and exclaims to Valmafra that they survived. The ending remains vague on whether this truly is the case, although it is the first time in the game that Orran sees Alma. The following text says that Ramza and Alma were never seen again over FMV images of them riding out of Ivalice. The narrator Arazlam then explains that Ramza's role in the War of the Lions remained unknown to the public, due not only to the disappearance of Ramza and his companions but also to the Church's confiscation of Orran's "Durai Report" for blasphemy. Arazlam concludes by stating that the story he narrated is the one contained within the Durai Report, which he recovered, and that he will reveal to the public, hoping to cast Ramza's true role as that of a historical hero. In the updated version of the game, Ramza is voiced by veteran voice actor, Phil LaMarr.Final Fantasy Insight - Version 6 ~ Renaissance Delita Heiral is the major, occasionally playable character of Final Fantasy Tactics who is remembered in the backstory of the game as a commoner turned both hero of the War of the Lions and Savior King of Ivalice. However, the story as narrated by Arazlam is aimed at revealing Delita's true role in the war, and begins with Delita kidnapping Princess Ovelia in the prologue. The first chapter of the game portrays the younger Delita as Ramza's commoner friend, and explains the origins of his will to rise beyond his status, beginning with the death of his sister in the conflict between the Corpse Brigade and the Beoulves. In the subsequent chapters, it is revealed that Delita is manipulating both sides of the war'Delita': Not quite yet. Because... During the battle Larg and Goltana will both be killed by someone. Of course the leaders will also be killed... Nantens' Orlandu, Hokutens' Zalbag, and Dycedarg... Losing their leaders, both armies will stop fighting and turn to peace... as well as the Church'Ramza': Aren't you trying to get the stones also? Delita: I'm not working for the Church! and Ramza,Delita: I know what he'll do. Balmafula: You even use your friends. Delita: Shut up! What do you know? so that he could reduce them to powerlessness and create a political vacuum for himself to fill. He eventually succeeds, although unaware of Ramza and the Lucavi's activities, and marries Princess Ovelia to ascend to the throne of Ivalice. In the game's post-credits scene, Ovelia attempts to murder Delita and confronts him about manipulating everybody.Queen Ovelia: You use everybody like that! Now, you'll kill me just like Ramza...! Delita defends himself and stabs her back with her dagger. As he staggers away from Ovelia's body, Delita addresses an absent Ramza, asking "Did you get your lot in all this?" before the scene fades out on him. It is assumed that he does not die, as the manual for the PS1 version makes reference to him having had a "long and peaceful rule."Delita Hyral "According to historical record, he is the hero who ended the Lion War. Afterwards, he became king and maintained a long and peaceful rule." (1997) in Square Electronic Arts: Final Fantasy Tactics North American instruction manual (in English). Square Electronic Arts, 7. SCUS-94221. Delita is voiced by veteran voice actor Robin Atkin Downes in the updated PSP version. Supporting characters * is an engineer excavating advanced ruined technologies from the Clockwork City of Goug. He is encountered in the second chapter of the game and involved in a story arc concerning his father Besrodio and a man named Ludovich, who is searching for the Taurus Zodiac Stone. He eventually joins Ramza as a full party member, and is involved in the series of optional events necessary to recruit Construct 8 and Cloud Strife. He has a new psp-only scene with Agrias where he expresses his crush for her by giving her lipstick for her birthday. * is a Holy Knight of the Royal Guard of Lesalia and bodyguard of Princess Ovelia. She serves as a guest character in the prologue and second chapter, during a story arc concerning Duke Goltanna's attempts to assassinate Princess Ovelia; she eventually joins the party as a full member when Ramza agrees to help in her quest. In Vagrant Story, an item called "Agrias' Balm" can be obtained and is described as having been used by Agrias. Although absent in Final Fantasy Tactics, the item is mentioned in its remake Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. Agrias can equip heavy armor for durability on the battlefield, and has powerful "Holy Sword" abilities which allow her to magically attack the enemy while staying out of harm's way. She is voiced by Hedy Burress in the PSP version. This remake also contains an additional scene in which Agrias reunites briefly with Ovelia and, among other things, gives her a knife for self-protection, clarifying the previously ambiguous ending. * and are two orphans possessing mysterious powers. The siblings are introduced in the third chapter as Rapha tries to persuade Marach that their adoptive father, Duke Gerrith Barrington of Fovoham, burned their village on purpose to acquire them and their powers. She also implies that she was later raped by the Duke.Rafa: You know what he did! What he did to me! I KNOW you know! When Marach refuses to listen to her, she throws herself on Ramza's mercy, and joins the party as a guest character; Marach must then be fought in several battles. Eventually, Marach learns that Rapha's analysis of their foster father is accurate, shortly before sacrificing his life to protect his sister; however, he is resurrected by the Taurus Zodiac Stone, and both siblings join the player's party as full members. In the original translation, the reference to Rapha's rape at the hands of the Duke was more understated (whether due to either the nature of the translation or censorship), but was made more obvious in the PSP version. * is the leader of the Order of the Southern Sky, a hero of the Fifty Years' War with his late friend Barbaneth Beoulve, and Orran's foster father. He is nicknamed "Thunder God Cid" for his military genius and skills as a swordsman. Due to his divergent viewpoints with his lord Duke Goltanna, Orlandeau is framed as a traitor by Delita,Goltana: I have proof. You've been secretly planning with the Church to overthrow me. Orlandu: Nonsense!! Who told you such a lie!? who plans to take Orlandeau's position as leader of the Southern Sky Knights. When Ramza rescues Orlandeau at Besselat Garrison, Orlandeau's death is faked and he joins the player's party. * is the daughter of Folmarv and elder sister of Isilud Tengille. Like them, she is a Knight Templar in direct service of the Glabados Church. She is first met in the fourth chapter, where she must be fought in battle as she mistakenly assumes that Ramza killed Isilud—unaware that their father Folmarv, possessed by the Lucavi, was the real murderer.Meliadoul: You're denying it!? Izlude, whom you killed at Riovanes, was my brother!! I'm going to kill you, not for the High Priest, but for my brother!! She later reappears at Limberry Castle in the midst of Ramza's battle against the Lucavi Zalera (the former Marquis Elmdor), and realizes the truth of Ramza's words. She joins the party during the fight as a guest and then as a full member after it. * , is a cadet from Limberry Castle in the employ of the Marquis Elmdore. Ramza and Delita meet him for the first time needing rescue after the Marquis's abduction. Argath hails from a disgraced noble family and Argath is determined to redeem his family's name. Even though Argath initially befriended Ramza and Delita, his snobbish views on nobility and class eventually strained their friendship: Argath refers to commoners as chattel or animals,Algus: Human? Hmph, ridiculous! From the minute you were born you had to obey us! From the second you were born you were our animals!! and frequently castigates Ramza, a noble-born Beoulve, for associating with the common-born Delita.Algus: That's exactly the point. Don't act like friends. You are the son of a distinguished family. You cannot be with him. I'm sure your brothers would agree with me! Argath then insults Delita's status, and during the attempt to round up the last vestiges of the Corpse Brigade (the "Death Corps" in the PS1 translation), he murders Delita's sister Tietra (Teta in the original translation). Delita and Ramza then duel Argath to the death. In the PSP version, Argath's character is revived as a Death Knight in service of Marquis Elmdore, when the Marquis merges with the Lucavi Zalera, and defeated again by Ramza. * is the youngest child of the Beoulve family. Her father is the late Barbaneth Beoulve; her siblings are her two elder half-brothers, Dycedarg and Zalbaag, and her elder (full) brother Ramza. Alma attended the Eagrose Aristocratic School together with Tietra Heiral; later, sometime during or after the Corpse Brigade rebellion, she moved to Orbonne Monastery (possibly for her protection, following an attack by the Corpse Brigade upon the Beoulve estate in which she was nearly kidnapped), where she befriended Princess Ovelia Atkascha. Later yet, she moved to live with Zalbaag in the royal capital of Lesalia. Like Ramza, Alma laments the debacle at Ziekden Fortress that resulted in Tietra's death. Therefore, in Chapter 3 she insists on joining Ramza in his mission to uncover the conspiracy behind the Lion War, despite her complete lack of training in combat, and is surprised to learn that Delita is alive. She and Ramza went to Orbonne Monastery to retrieve the Virgo Zodiac Stones, but unfortunately, they arrived at the same time a detachment of Templar Knights was raiding Orbonne for the auracite as well. Alma was captured there by Templar Isilud Tengille; she remains separated from Ramza thereafter, and most of the second half of the game is devoted to Ramza's attempts to rescue her. In Riovanes Castle, Folmarv had intended to kill her as part of his murderous rampage, but stops upon making a remarkable discovery: Alma happens to be the only suitable host for Ultima (see St. Ajora), the High Seraph, leader of the Lucavi. In the confrontation between Ramza and the Lucavi Hashmal, Hashmal kills himself to successfully summon Ultima into Alma's body. Despite this, Alma re-incorporates herself, and fights against Ultima in the game's final battle. Defeating Ultima results in a catastrophic explosion which obliterates the battlefield; appropriately, a funeral is held for Alma at the end of the game, Orran Durai and Valmafra being amongst the mourners present. However, as Orran is just about to leave, Alma and Ramza ride by through the cemetery on chocobo-back, to Orran's astonishment. * is a Dark Knight in his late 50's. In his past, he was a leader of the Knights of the Eastern Sky during the Fifty Year War, but was forced out due to his brutal fighting style. He then became a mercenary who was employed by Duke Larg to kidnap Princess Ovelia, but failed when Delita Heiral intervened. He was then ordered to deal with Ramza Beoulve. His first attempt involved a trap centered around the staged execution of a decoy Ovelia. Agrias, who had been taken prisoner at Lionel Castle, was allowed to learn of the execution, and she subsequently escaped and alerted Ramza, who walked right into the trap. Gaffgarion's men emerged from hiding, and a battle ensued, but Ramza was victorious. Gaffgarion retreated to Lionel Castle and waited for Ramza to arrive. When Ramza tried to slip over the wall to open the gate for his allies, Gaffgarion triggered another ambush on Ramza's allies outside, and fought a duel with Ramza just inside the gate, but was defeated and killed. * is the adopted son of Count Cidolfus Orlandeau; his real father was one of Orlandeau's comrade-in-arms who died towards the end of the Fifty Years' War. Skilled in magic, military strategy, and reconnaissance/information gathering, he serves Duke Goltanna's Knights of the Southern Sky. Though he appears little in the game, the epilogue reveals that years after the end of the Lion War, Orran compiles his experiences into a book. The so-called "Durai Papers" included an account of Ramza Beoulve's heroism and the injustices of the Glabados Church. Fearing public disclosure of the truth behind the Lion War, the Church has Orran burned at the stake for heresy, and confiscates the Durai Papers. Centuries later, Orran's work is discovered by Arazlam Durai, Orran's descendant and the narrator of the "Zodiac Brave Story". * , age 16, is introduced as a princess of the Atkascha royal family, but her origins are more complicated. In the English PSP version, Ovelia is voiced by Kari Wahlgren. She is the much younger half-sister of the King Ondoria III, the recently deceased sovereign of Ivalice; both were born to King Denamunda IV by different mothers. Following the death of both of his sons, King Omdolia adopted Ovelia as his daughter, making her heir to the throne. However, soon after her adoption, Queen Louveria unexpectedly became pregnant with a third son, giving birth to Prince Orinus. Ovelia was then entrusted to the care of Duke Larg, who arranged for her to be brought up in Orbonne Abbey. Ovelia spent the majority of her life at Orbonne, where she grew up under the auspices of Father Simon Penn-Lachish and also befriended Alma Beoulve. When she is 15, Duke Larg arranges for Ovelia to be escorted to the royal capital of Lesalia by a combined escort consisting of Ovelia's personal bodyguards, and a mercenary company hired by the Northern Sky Knights. This proves to be an elaborate ploy devised by Larg and his close advisor, Lord Dycedarg Beoulve, to murder Ovelia and frame Duke Goltanna (Larg's principal political rival) for the crime. Larg and Dycedarg arrange for men disguised in Southern Sky livery to kidnap and kill Ovelia. However, their plan is foiled by the Glabados Church, who sends Delita to intercept and take the place of the intended kidnappers, thus preventing the Princess' actual assassination. She was then briefly rescued by Ramza and Agrias, but they unwisely decided to turn to Cardinal Delacroix to protect the Princess from the feud between Larg and Goltana. Cardinal Delacroix eventually handed her over to the Shrine Knights, who in turn passed her to Duke Goltana, precipitating the Lion War. While in the custody of the Shrine Knights, the knight Folmarv reveals to Ovelia that she is not the real Princess Ovelia, but merely a substitute for the real Ovelia who had died a long time ago. The nobles of the Ivalician Senate despised Queen Louveria and feared a future where she ruled by proxy through one of her two sons. They thus assassinated both princes, and arranged for the substitute Ovelia to become heir apparent. This plan was ruined when Queen Louveria gave birth to her third son Prince Orinus (Folmarv also suggests that Orinus may have not been fathered by the king). While the truth of this story is never confirmed, there was no reason for Folmarv to lie. Also during her custody, she (briefly) comes to trust and love Delita Heiral, who promises her freedom from being manipulated as a political tool. She marries Delita eventually, but becomes increasingly disturbed by his own willingness to manipulate others, ultimately coming to view her marriage as merely a means by which Delita legitimizes his own ascension to the throne. In the post-credits, Ovelia confronts Delita about his manipulation of everyone (herself, Ramza, etc), and attacks him. (While in the PS1 version this attack was ambiguous in nature, in the PSP version Ovelia has been gifted with a knife by Agrias.) Delita, in response, pulls out his own dagger and slays the woman he promised to protect. * , age 28, is the second eldest child of the Beoulve Family. He is the principal general of the Order of the Northern Sky, with the rank of Ark Knight, and is considered a hero by Ivalician commonfolk.Dycedarg (to Zalbaag): ‘Justice’? I’m embarrassed to think you even said that! You think such pretty ideals can govern the people!? Why are you able to use that sword? Why do you think the people call you a hero? It’s all because of me!! Because I dirtied my hands you’re here! You should be thanking me, not despising me!! His father is the late Barbaneth Beoulve. His siblings are his elder brother Dycedarg, his younger half-brother Ramza, and his younger half-sister Alma. During the Fifty Years' War, Zalbaag, at Barbaneth's behest, replaced Dycedarg as commander of the Northern Sky. After the end of the war, Zalbaag directed Northern Sky troops in suppressing the Corpse Brigade's rebellion (Chapter 1). When he meets Ramza, Delita, and Argath at Eagrose following the kidnapping of Marquis Elmdore, he very discreetly encourages the three cadets to investigate the Marquis' kidnapping on their own, hinting to them about where they should go.Zalbag: The messenger we sent still hasn’t returned. He’s probably in trouble, but the nobles say there’s no need to search for his whereabouts. Ramza: Where was he when you last heard from him? Zalbaag: A trade city called Dorter, east of Gallione......Guarding a castle is boring work. Don't you think? This is despite the cadets having received explicit orders from Dycedarg to stand guard at Eagrose Castle. Later, the Corpse Brigade assaults the Beoulve residence and attempts to assassinate Dycedarg. The attack fails, but one of the rebels, Gragoroth (Golagros in the PS1 version) kidnaps Tietra Heiral, the sister of Delita Heiral, mistaking her for a Beoulve. Zalbaag pursues the rebels to the stronghold of Ziekden Fortress. There, Gragoroth holds Tietra hostage in a bid to force the Order of the Northern Sky to back down. But refusing to comply with the Corpse Brigade's demands for the sake of a commoner, Zalbaag explicitly orders the cadet Argath to shoot Tietra and then Gragoroth, a pivotal event in the story of Final Fantasy Tactics witnessed both by Ramza and Delita. He is next seen in Lesalia, where Ramza confronts him about a presence fueling the war. He does not believe Ramza and scolds him for even saying such a thing. Later, however, when Ser Loffrey visits Dycedarg and offers him a peaceful end to the war if House Beoulve swore itself before the Church of Galbados. When Dycedarg refuses, Loffrey mentions the suspicions of the death of their father, and how Dycedarg just "happens" to know about poisons. He then gives him the Capricorn Zodiac Stone as a "gift" and leaves. The screen then moves, revealing Zalbaag listening in on the conversation. After hearing the conversation between Dycedarg and Loffrey and hearing the suspicion of their father's death, he hires a chemist to accompany him to his father's grave. After the chemist confirms it is Mossfungus - a poison that slowly destroys its victim inside that killed him, Zalbaag stands in shock - Dycedarg killed their father to obtain House Beoulve. He then storms Eagrose Castle and attacks Dycedarg, furious and ready to bring down his sword, but is interrupted by the guards. Before Zalbaag has a chance to explain, Dycedarg claims Zalbaag has lost his mind and they adavnce on him. Ramza and his allies then appear, and together, Zalbaag and Ramza avenge their father's death. However, when Dycedarg his on the verge of death, the Capricorn shines, and turns Dycedarg into Adremellech. He then banishes Zalbaag to another dimension, where he is killed. His final appearance is in Mullonde, where his dead body was revived by the Church, and turned into a puppet. He unwillingly attacks Ramza, and is comatose, saying that he "has no sensation or feeling in his limbs" and it's "very dark and cold". After an emotional battle, Zalbaag is brought down, apologizing to Ramza for ever doubting him and for what he has done before his body disintegrates in a flash of light. Antagonists *'Ajora Glabados' is an ancient saint and patron of the Church of Glabados, which is the major religion in Ivalice. The majority of information learned about his character comes from the Germonique Scriptures, which Elder Simon finds in the Orbonne Monastery. According to a well known Ivalician legend, the day he was born in Bervenia, Ajora Glabados went to the town well and stated that the well meant death; as it turned out, the well was tainted with the Black Death. His popularity grew until the Holy Yudoran Empire began to be fearful of him; they executed him at Golgollada Gallows after Germonique, one of his disciples, turned him in for money. However, days after his death, the headquarters of the Fara Church were destroyed in a giant tidal wave. This was taken to be a supernatural occurrence, and the Glabados Church was born. Legend also states that Ajora took twelve Zodiac Stones and twelve followers to defeat an evil demon summoned by a king of Limberry. However, the Germonique Scriptures uncovered by Elder Simon state that Ajora was in fact a spy, selling information about countries to the highest bidder. The Yudora Empire got wind of his actions and sent another spy, Germonique, to find out his activities. Germonique found more than he bargained for, though. It's unclear whether Ajora summoned the Lucavi or vice versa, but he was chosen to be the host for the Lucavi leader, Ultima, the High Seraph. Germonique found several auracite (Virgo among them) and informed the Empire of Ajora's plans; the Empire, fearful of the havoc Ajora would cause, executed him. 1200 years after Ajora's execution, the Lucavi under Hashmal take advantage of the quarrel between Larg and Goltanna, as well as the Church. They seek to prolong the war in order to gather enough blood to resurrect Ultima, who is reborn in the Necrohol of Mullonde with Alma's body as the host. Alma expels Ultima, whom Ramza and his party destroy, but Ultima self-destructs in an attempt to kill them all. * is the second-highest-ranked clergyman in the Glabados Church, known as the Chief Confessor and Lord of Lionel. A renowned knight and theologian, he was a hero of the Fifty Years' War who enjoyed popular support upon his people. After the murder of his wife by Ordallian heretics during the Fifty Years' War, he devoted himself to hunting down heretics. Towards the end of the Fifty Years' war, Delecroix uncovered the holy stone "Scorpio" beneath ancient ruins in Zeltennia, which led to his later corruption and serving as host to Lucavi Cúchulainn, the Impure. In Chapter 2, Delacroix meets with Ramza, Princess Ovelia, Agrias, and Mustadio at Lionel Castle. Ramza and Agrias seek protection for Princess Ovelia from the feud between Duke Larg and Goltanna. Mustadio asks for aid to rescue his father from the Baert Company, which holds his father hostage for a shard of auracite found in the ruins of Goug. Delacroix promises to help, but unbeknownst to all, he is party to a conspiracy between the Shrine Knights and the Glabados Church. The two groups incite the conflict between the two dukes in order to increase their political power in Ivalice. Moreover, the Baert Company is looking for the auracite under Delacroix's direction. Delacroix instructs Mustadio and Ramza to return to Goug, promising to send troops ahead of them to deal with the Baert Company. After they leave, he imprisons Ovelia and Agrias. While nominally promising to hand Ovelia over to Duke Larg and Lord Dycedarg, he actually intends to hand her over to the Shrine Knights. Shortly thereafter, Ludovich, who is the leader of the Baert Company, and Gaffgarion are in audience with Delacroix. Ludovich has returned with a fake stone crafted by Mustadio. Delacroix plans an ambush for Ramza, allowing Agrias to escape while thinking that Ovelia is scheduled to be executed. Gaffgarion is dismissed to ambush Ramza and his allies when they come to rescue the princess. Following Gaffgarion's departure, Delacroix kills Ludovich for his failure. After foiling the ambush and killing Gaffgarion, Ramza confronts Delacroix at Lionel Castle. Though Delacroix reveals his Lucavi form as Cuchulainn, the Impure, Ramza still kills him, but the act of killing the Cardinal results in Ramza being labeled a heretic. * is the older brother of Queen Louveria, Duke of Gallione, and supreme leader of the Knights of the Northern Sky. The War of the Lions is fought between Larg and his principal political rival, Duke Goltanna, and it also forms much of the backdrop for the story of Final Fantasy Tactics. The majority of Larg's political support comes from knights and the minor nobility of Ivalice. His standard is a white lion rampant upon a blue background. Following the end of the Fifty Years' War, Duke Larg finds himself in a contest against Duke Goltanna to be named regent to the young Crown Prince Orinus, a three-year-old child. In order to give himself an upper hand, Larg and his close adviser Dycedarg Beoulve try to eliminate one of Duke Goltanna's supporters, Marquis Elmdore, Lord of Limberry. Dycedarg convinces the deputy-captain of the Corpse Brigade rebels, Gustav Margriff, to kidnap the Marquis. A meeting in Garriland between Duke Larg and Marquis Elmdore is arranged; Gustav and his men attack the Marquis' entourage en route to Garriland, kidnapping Elmdore and demanding ransom from the Ivalician nobility for his release. But Larg's scheme is foiled when the Marquis is independently tracked down and rescued by Wiegraf Folles, a leader of the Corpse Brigade who is opposed to Gustav, and a group of Northern Sky cadets led by Ramza and Delita. Years later, Larg still finds himself in deadlock against Goltanna, with tensions rising between them. Therefore, he accepts a new scheme proposed by Dycedarg. When Princess Ovelia Atkascha turns 15, Duke Larg arranges for her to be escorted to the royal capital of Lesalia by a combined escort consisting of Ovelia's personal bodyguards and a mercenary company hired by the Northern Sky Knights. This is, in reality, an elaborate ploy devised by Dycedarg and Duke Larg to murder Ovelia and frame Duke Goltanna for the crime. One of Goltanna's liegemen, Minister Gelwan, sought to switch to Larg's camp; through Gelwan, Dycedarg arranges for men disguised in Southern Sky livery to kidnap and kill Ovelia. Even the mercenary company hired to protect the Princess turns out to be in Dycedarg's hire. However, the Glabados Church foils this new plan by sending Delita Heiral to intercept and take the place of the intended kidnappers. This prevents Ovelia's actual assassination. A series of events eventually lands Princess Ovelia in Goltanna's keeping. Goltanna immediately declares Princess Ovelia to be the true heir to the Ivalician throne, and marches upon Lesalia with the Southern Sky Knights. He imprisons Queen Louveria for treason; she knew and apparently supported Larg's plot. In response, Larg declares Prince Orinus to be the true heir, making himself regent, and takes the Northern Sky Knights to war against Goltanna. This results in the War of the Lions. Dycedarg assassinates Larg at the siege of Fort Besselat, when both of them and the Northern Sky army are immobilized by mossfungus poisoning. Prior to dying, Larg accuses Dycedarg of killing his own father, Barbaneth, a claim overheard by Zalbaag Beoulve. * is a cousin of King Omdolia III, Duke of Zeltennia, and supreme leader of the Southern Sky Knights. The War of the Lions is fought between Goltanna and his principal political rival, Duke Larg, and it also forms much of the backdrop for the story of Final Fantasy Tactics. The majority of Goltanna's political support is found amongst the great nobles of Ivalice. His standard is a black lion rampant upon a red background. Following the end of the Fifty Years' War, Goltana found himself in a contest against Duke Larg to be named regent to the young Crown Prince Orinus, a 3-year-old child. Tensions mount, but the two remain in political deadlock. In Chapter 2 however, Duke Larg and Lord Dycedarg Beoulve attempt to kidnap and assassinate Princess Ovelia Atkascha, then blame Goltanna for the crime. However, the Glabados Church foils this plot by sending Delita Heiral, disguised as a Southern Sky soldier, to prevent Ovelia's murder. Delita delivers Ovelia into Goltana's keeping. He advises Goltanna to move against Queen Louveria and the royal family, and proposes that he declare Ovelia to be queen. Acting on Delita's advice, Goltanna quickly changes his political stance. Goltana declares Ovelia to be true Queen of Ivalice, and attempts to install her as a puppet ruler with himself in charge, likely drawing upon the fact that Ovelia was named heir to the throne prior to the birth of Prince Orinus. He marches upon the capital city of Lesalia and imprisons Louveria. In response, Larg declares Prince Orinus to the true heir, names himself regent, and takes the Northern Sky Knights to war against Goltanna, resulting in the War of the Lions. During the War of the Lions, Goltanna is tricked by Delita into believing that his top commander, Count Cidolfas Orlandeau, is conspiring with senior Glabados clergymen against him, a claim he is quick to accept given Orlandeau's protestions regarding the war. Goltanna imprisons Orlandeau and appoints Delita to the command of the Order of the Southern Sky in Orlandeau's stead. This proves to be a grave mistake; at the siege of Fort Besselat, when the Southern Sky army is immobilized by Ramza Beoulve's opening of the garrison flood gates, Goltanna is assassinated by Delita amidst the confusion. Delita carefully frames Orlandeau for the assassination using a look-alike, but secretly allows the real Orlandu to escape and aid Ramza in turn. * , age 37, is the eldest child of the Beoulve family. A talented magician, knight, and politician, his cunning and ambition is responsible for much of the political intrigue in Final Fantasy Tactics. His father is the late Barbaneth Beoulve, also known as Balbanes in the original translation. His siblings are his younger brother Zalbaag, his younger half-brother Ramza, and his younger half-sister, Alma. During the Fifty Years' War, Dycedarg encouraged his father to seize power from the Atkascha Royal Family and place House Beoulve on the Ivalician throne. Barbaneth refused, so Dycedarg discreetly poisoned his father with mossfungus. When Barbaneth finally became too ill from the poison to command, Dycedarg took over his father's position. However, at Barbaneth's behest, Dycedarg eventually stepped down in favour of his younger brother, Zalbaag. Dycedarg subsequently became the right-hand man of Duke Larg. In this capacity, Dycedarg concocts a series of an elaborate political schemes to bring Duke Larg to power—and therefore increase the influence of the Beoulve family. The first such scheme happens during the Corpse Brigade's (aka "Death Corps") Rebellion that follows the Fifty Years' War. Marquis Elmdore, Lord of Limberry, is a strong supporter of Duke Goltanna, and Dycedarg and Larg wish to eliminate him. Dycedarg convinces the deputy-captain of the Corpse Brigade, Gustav Margriff, to kidnap the Marquis. A meeting in Gariland between Duke Larg and Marquis Elmdore is arranged, but Gustav and his men attacked the Marquis' retinue en route to Gariland, demanding ransom from the Ivalician nobility for his release. However, Dycedarg's scheme is foiled when the Marquis was independently rescued by first Wiegraf Folles, the idealistic leader of the Corpse Brigade who opposes the ransoming of noblemen, and later a group of Northern Sky cadets, including Ramza and Delita, who are encouraged by Zalbaag to investigate the Marquis' kidnapping. Dycedarg's next major scheme happens some years later (Chapter 2), leading to the War of the Lions. When Princess Ovelia Atkascha turns 15, Duke Larg arranges for her to be escorted to the royal capital of Lesalia by a combined escort consisting of Ovelia's personal bodyguards and a mercenary company hired by the Northern Sky Knights. This is, in reality, an elaborate ploy devised by Dycedarg and Larg to murder Ovelia and frame Goltana for the crime. One of Goltana's liegemen, Minister Gelwan, seeks to switch to Larg's camp; through Gelwan, Dycedarg arranges for men disguised in Southern Sky livery to kidnap and kill Ovelia. However, this time his plan is foiled by the Glabados Church, which sends Delita Heiral to intercept the intended kidnappers and prevent the Princess' actual assassination. A series of events eventually lands Princess Ovelia in Goltana's keeping, precipitating the War of the Lions. During the War of the Lions, when windborne mossfungus poison spread by the Shrine Knights incapacitates both the Northern Sky and Southern Sky armies at the siege of Fort Besselat, Dycedarg uses the chaos of the situation to assassinate his liege, Duke Larg. He stabs Larg with a dagger, and tells his shocked brother Zalbaag to frame one of the various unconscious (or dead) Northern Sky soldiers present as an assassin from the Order of the Southern Sky. Dycedarg assumes leadership of the Northern Sky Knights. Following the battle at Besselat, Dycedarg continues the war in spite of the fact that both Larg and Goltana are dead by that point, ostensibly to fulfill the wishes of his late liege. He refuses an offer from the Glabados Church to mediate a peace between the Northern Sky Knights and the Southern Sky Knights. During a meeting with the Shrine Knight Loffrey, the Church envoy, Loffrey all but reveals to Dycedarg that he knows about Dycedarg's assassination of his own father using mossfungus poison. In addition, Loffrey gives Dycedarg the Holy Stone "Capricorn". Shortly afterwards, Zalbaag attacks Dycedarg inside Eagrose Castle, after overhearing the conversation between Dycedarg and Loffrey and uncovering further evidence of his father's poisoning. Ramza happens to return to Eagrose at that precise time, and aids Zalbaag. Dycedarg is mortally wounded in the ensuing battle between the Beoulve brothers, but before dying, he merges with the Lucavi Adrammelech, the Wroth. As Adrammelech, Dycedarg immediately kills Zalbaag or banishes him to some other dimension. Ramza kills Adrammelech a short time later. * is the Marquis of Limberry. Known as the "Silver Noble" by his allies and the "Silver Demon" by his enemies, he is a very skilled swordsman. He is taken hostage by the Corpse Brigade, but Wiegraf Folles releases him to Ramza in exchange for his own escape. Elmdore is later reported killed in battle. However, the Lucavi demon Zalera, the Death Seraph, had Elmdore accept his offer for new life in return for serving as his host. Two Ultima Demons work for him, disguising themselves as the human women Celia and Lettie. Elmdore and his two bodyguards appear at Riovanes Castle and attack Rapha, but Ramza intervenes and Elmdore flees back to Limberry Castle. Ramza later journeys to Limberry Castle looking for Alma. Elmdore is in the middle of a meeting with Forlmav when Celia and Lettie burst in to warn them of Ramza's approach. Folmarv rushes off to prepare for Ultima's resurrection, leaving Elmdore to fight Ramza. Elmdore, realizing he cannot defeat Ramza in his mortal form, lures Ramza into the basement where he summons several undead creatures to assist him. He then transforms into Zalera, an act which is witnessed by Forlmav's daughter Meliadoul. Meliadoul realizes the truth about her father and joins Ramza in battle against the demon. They prevail, Zalera is killed, and Elmdore dies with him. * is an ex-rebel who enters into the service of the Knights Templar of the Glabados Church. He eventually becomes a host for the Lucavi Belias, the Gigas. His sister is Milleuda Folles. During the Fifty Years' War, Wiegraf was the leader of the Knights of Death, a militia force formed of volunteers amongst the Ivalician commonfolk. After the war ended, however, the Ivalician government discharged all commoner soldiers without pay. To demand fairness and respect from the Ivalician nobility, Wiegraf founds the Corpse Brigade, a rebel group formed of ex-veterans of the war and other commoners. Under his leadership, the Corpse Brigade attacks and assassinates Ivalician nobility, in order to terrorize them into accepting commoners as equals and flatten Ivalice's social pyramid. However, Wiegraf only believes in attacking the nobility to implement his egalitarian ideals, and opposes attacking them for profit; in Chapter 1, when he learns that his deputy-captain, Gustav, has kidnapped Marquis Elmdore for ransom, he personally tracks down and kills Gustav in order to rescue the Marquis; Wiegraf is also aware that Gustav was convinced by Lord Dycedarg Beoulve to do so. Wiegraf reaches the Marquis just one step ahead of Ramza, Delita, and Argath, and releases the Marquis to them in exchange for his own freedom. Later, his sister, Milleuda, also a member of the Corpse Brigade, is killed by Ramza and Delita at Lenalian Plateau. Wiegraf attacks Ramza and Delita in an attempt to avenge Milleuda's death, but fails. Before escaping, however, he reveals to Ramza that the Marquis' kidnapping was planned by Duke Larg, and more shockingly, Ramza's own brother, Dycedarg. Wiegraf evades capture, however, and disappears for a number of years before reappearing as a Temple Knight in the service of the Glabados Church. A new PSP-only cutscene reveals Wiegraf's recruitment by Loffrey during this period. He is given the Zodiac auracite "Aries" by the Knights Templar. In Chapter 3, Wiegraf and Isilud Tengille are instructed to raid Orbonne Monastery for the holy stone "Virgo", coincidentally at the same time that Ramza and his sister, Alma Beoulve, have come searching for the stone as well. Alma is captured by Isilud, and Wiegraf tells Isilud to flee while he once again fights Ramza to avenge Miluda's death. He loses again to Ramza, and is mortally wounded. However, as he lies dying, a voice emanates from the Aries stone, offering Wiegraf great power and eternal life. Wiegraf accepts, and merges with the Lucavi Belias, the Gigas. Before Ramza can stop him, he teleports away. Wiegraf then accompanies Folmarv to a meeting at Riovanes Castle. When Ramza approaches the castle to rescue Alma, Folmarv tells Wiegraf to deal with him. Wiegraf fights Ramza one-on-one in a hallway in Riovanes Castle in his mortal form, and after noting that Ramza's skill has improved, Wiegraf transforms into Belias and summons a host of demons to fight Ramza and his allies. He is killed by Ramza in the ensuing battle. Like Delita Heiral, Wiegraf's character reverses dramatically over the course of the story, transitioning from idealistic to cynical. Whereas the main character, Ramza, comes to respect the honour and integrity of Wiegraf's egalitarian ideals,Ramza: I pity you, Wiegraf. Even if you couldn’t fulfill your dream, your people wouldn’t have forgotten you. Your ideals and actions inspired your people and stirred up the old Noble customs! Your actions have meaning only if they hold true to your ideals... Miluda and your old comrades would be disappointed with your current choice of actions. If you need someone else to fulfill your dreams, they lose their value, wouldn’t you agree? Wiegraf himself grows cynical about them, concluding that they are nothing if left unfulfilled, to the extent that he willingly stoops to serving the Glabados Church in order to increase his own power and resources, despite the selfish ambitions of the Church's plans.Wiegraf: You don’t understand how hard it is to fulfill your ideal. Even if your ideal is great, it’s just a dream if you can’t fulfill it! So how can you fulfill it? You need power! That's the politics of the world! I can see it clearly now! You can’t fulfill your dreams without power! You say I’m a dog of the church! Go ahead!! I don’t care! You can despise me, but I’ll be laughing in the end. You’ll all submit to me! Moreover, he becomes obsessed with avenging his sister Miluda's death. * is the leader of the Knights Templar of the Glabados Church, and the main antagonist of Final Fantasy Tactics. His first appearance is to send mercenaries after Ramza and co. in chapter 2, but he is not officially named until he meets Ovelia and reveals her "true" past as a decoy princess. He is the holder of the holy stone "Leo", and the host for the Lucavi Hashmal, the Regulator. He has a daughter and a son, named Meliadoul and Isilud respectively, both of whom serve him as Knights Templar; however, neither is aware of what their father has become. Though pretending to help bring to fruition High Priest Funebris's scheme to control Ivalician politics, his real goal is to use the Church's power and influence to gather the Zodiac Stones and use them to bring Lucavi into Ivalice, particularly St. Ajora (in the form of the Lucavi leader, Ultima, the Bloody Angel). Folmarv's son Isilud is sent to collect the holy stone "Virgo" from Orbonne Monastery. He collects the stone and captures Ramza's sister, Alma, but is in turn captured by Grand Duke Barrington. The Duke subsequently invites Folmarv to Riovanes. When Folmarv is reunited with his son at Riovanes Castle, he denounces Izlude's incompetence for getting captured, slapping him across the face. The Duke attempts to coerce Folmarv to cooperate into helping him, whereupon Folmarv transforms into his Lucavi form and goes on a murderous rampage through Riovanes Castle, even mortally wounding his son Izlude in the process. At the end of his rampage, he stops short of killing Alma and kidnaps her instead when he notes that the Virgo stone, St. Ajora's stone, reacts to her, identifying her as Ultima's ideal host. Soon after, impatient to resurrect Ultima, Folmarv travels to Temple of Mullonde (the headquarters of the Glabados Church). Aided by the Knights Templar Loffrey and Cletienne, he massacres the priests and clerics inside and forces High Priest Funebris to tell him the location of the gateway towards the Necrohol of Mullonde, on pain of death. After Funebris reveals that the gateway is in the basement of Orbonne Monastery and that a spell from the Germonique Scriptures is needed to unlock it, Folmarv kills him anyway. Coincidentally, Ramza catches up to Folmarv at Mullonde, and is coerced by Folmarv into relinquishing the Germonique Scriptures. Folmarv then travels to the Graveyard of Airships in the Necrohol, where he unsuccessfully attempts to resurrect St. Ajora. He concludes that the centuries of bloodshed from the wars are still insufficient, and that more bloodshed must be necessary to summon Ultima into Alma's body. When Ramza arrives at the scene, Folmarv transforms again into his Lucavi form and tries to sacrifice Ramza and his allies to fulfill the amount of blood needed to bring Ajora back to life, but he is wounded in failure. Deciding that he cannot win, Folmarv commits suicide, his blood being enough to complete Ajora's resurrection. Other characters * is a former templar of Lionel. Priest Bremondt exiles him from Lionel after finding Reis, with whom the priest is in love, in a relationship with the knight. Searching for Reis through the countryside, Beowulf encounters Ramza in the Royal City of Lesalia, where he requests his help in the search. Beowulf is a "Temple Knight" on the PS1, and a Templar on the PSP; his swordskills consume MP, but provide him with a variety of abilities derived from the Mystic/Oracle jobset, except with higher accuracy and effectiveness. His signature ability is the vaunted "Chicken" spell, which turns victims into its namesake, removing them from the fight for as many as ten turns and allowing the player to conduct their business in peace. He is named after the legendary Beowulf of the epic of the same name, but ironically is in love with a dragon, whereas his namesake was killed by one. His surname's namesake, Cadmus, was also a hero associated with dragons; after killing one and the armed men that sprung from its teeth when he planted them, he founded Thebes. * is a woman of uncertain origins. She has a relationship with Beowulf Cadmus. Transformed into a dragon by a jealous priest of the Glabados Church, she disappears into the Gollund Coal Mines. Fighting for her life inside the mine, she becomes the feared Holy Dragon spoken about in rumours around the area; miners believe that she is there to harm them. Ramza's help is requested by a hunter, Beowulf Cadmus, to search for this dragon in the late stages of the game; if the player chooses to help him, a difficult subquest begins. Once the player rescues Reis from the mine after a series of battles, she joins the party in the form of a "Holy Dragon", which possesses incredible attacking power and all the "Breath" abilities possessed by lesser dragons, but with limited movement range. She is also unable to equip any equipment. By travelling to Nelveska Island in the next part of the subquest, the player can transform Reis back into her human form through the power of auracite, unlocking new abilities such as "Holy Bracelet" and various dragon-related skills ("Bracelet" is a mistranslation of "Breath," and most examples were corrected in the PSP remake). She is arguably one of the most magically adept characters in the entire game. It is interesting to note that Reis may not use any equipment in her original class, even after she has been converted back into a human; however, female-only equipments such as perfumes, bags, and ribbons may still be used. This does not apply once she has changed into another class. In addition, her normal physical attacks will have a chance of inviting monsters to join the party. A subquest in the PSP remake depicts her kidnapping by agents of the aforementioned jealous priest, Bremondt, and elaborates that Beowulf, not Reis, was the intended victim of the dragon transformation. * is a robot constructed by an ancient civilization, and excavated in Goug by Besrodio Bunansa. It initially appears as a large metal ball, until activated by inserting the Aquarius Zodiac Stone (acquired in the course of Beowulf and Reis' subquest). Once this is done, Construct 8 unfolds into a burly humanoid configuration and joins the party (Ramza tests its abilities by ordering it to "dance" and "beat Mustadio up," leading to a frantic rush for Phoenix Down in a humorous scene.) Unlike human party members, Construct 8 cannot change jobs from its basic Steel Giant class and cannot equip weapons or armor. Its unique job abilities require it to sacrifice some HP to attack, but also render it immune to the effects of terrain, weather, and all forms of magic (excluding confusion, and a few others) . The latter is because magic's effectiveness in Final Fantasy Tactics is related to the Faith statistic of both the caster and the target, and Construct 8 permanently has zero Faith (presumably because its mechanical nature renders it incapable of faith). These traits are unique to Construct 8 and Construct 7, a nearly identical enemy robot powered by the Cancer Zodiac Stone. Construct 8 is similar to the Iron Giant/Iron Man enemy seen in the last dungeon of several Final Fantasy games Iron Giant monster page at FFCompendium.com. * from Final Fantasy VII is also playable. When Ramza inserts the Cancer Zodiac Stone into Besrodio's machine, it briefly activates a portal, and Cloud tumbles out of it. His first words, "What happened? Last thing I remember was getting caught in the current", seem to imply that his appearance in Tactics takes place canonically after he falls into the Lifestream in Final Fantasy VII. Cloud is disoriented after arriving in Ramza's world, seemingly remembering only bits and pieces of his life before coming out of the portal. After a short exchange with Ramza and the others, he is racked by a seizure similar to those he suffered in Final Fantasy VII. As it fades, he exclaims, "I must go...must go to that place...," before running out, Ramza and his friends close behind him. He wanders into the Trade City of Sal Ghidos, where he encounters a flower-girl named Aerith (though not his), which only adds to his confusion. As Cloud is leaving, Aerith is accosted by an apparent loan shark looking to collect on a 30,000-gil loan. Cloud returns to help Aerith escape but starts to suffer another seizure as Ramza and his party catch up to him. After they save him, he joins Ramza's party, while Ramza agrees to help get him back to his own world. Cloud's inherent job class, "Soldier," allows Cloud to perform his Limit Breaks from Final Fantasy VII, but only if his personal weapon, the "Materia Blade," is recovered from the top of Bervenia Volcano and equipped by him. Unlike most characters, who join the party at pre-determined levels intended to be close to those of the player's party, Cloud starts at Level 1. * from Final Fantasy XII is a recruitable character in the PSP remake. He is searching for the "Cache of Glabados," a body of probably valuable or incriminating property owned by the Church. His Job Class, "Sky Pirate," combines Mustadio's debilitation skills with upgraded versions of the Thief's steal commands, essentially obsoleting both. Gideon Emery reprises his role as the voice of Balthier. * , the protagonist of Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, was also added to the PSP remake. He claims to have gotten separated from his traveling companions and joins Ramza's group for the duration of their travels. He is a "Monster Hunter" and has the innate ability to poach monsters defeated in combat; otherwise, his skillset is identical to Ramza's (which itself is an upgraded version of the "Squire" basic job class), up to and including the ability to learn staple Final Fantasy spell "Ultima," which previously was exclusive to Ramza. (Alma, who joins the party as a guest in the very last battle of the game, can also learn Ultima if it is deliberately cast on her by the player, but she is never directly controllable.) Justin Cowden acts as the voice of Luso. Reception The characters of Final Fantasy Tactics are generally well received by reviewers. GameSpot praised the plot of the story and how it helps in the growth of the main character into an older and wiser person as the game progresses. RPGFan commented on the sheer number of characters and how some of them can be neglected. The character sprites are deemed "expertly animated", and that even though the story is built upon a serious plot, the characters are thought to be "alarmingly cute". References External links * Final Fantasy Tactics character database at the Final Fantasy Wikia Category:Video game articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction Category:Final Fantasy Tactics Final Fantasy Tactics 1